Analyses of density-dependent effects are needed to understand how and when Wolbachia can control dengue vectors

Releases of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes have been shown to be an effective method of controlling Aedes aegypti, the main vector of dengue fever, in Australia. A study in BMC Biology from Penelope Hancock and others shows that incorporation of density-dependent effects into population models can provide major improvements in understanding how and when the infected populations can become established.See research article: https://bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12915-016-0319-5 .